


The Other Side of the Bone Eater's Well

by Jeb



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, warrior au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29210703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeb/pseuds/Jeb
Summary: Kagome was once weighed down by an important decision. Should she stay with her family in the feudal era or return to the one waiting for her on the other side of the well? It had taken her days to decide what to do, her heart tugging towards both sides painfully. It wasn't until after she had slung her legs over the edge and leapt into the well that she realized that the time spent mulling over right decision was pointless.The choice was never hers to make.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 20
Kudos: 24





	1. Right place, wrong time

**Author's Note:**

> I have not written in a long time, not seriously. I'm sorry if you don't like my story. I've had this idea in my head since I discovered YoukaiYume's warrior AU. In case, for whatever reason, I don't finish this story the premise and a vague outline will be included at the bottom to try and make this make a bit more sense. Just a note: I have not watched InuYasha in years. I plan on binge watching it at some point but the majority of my knowledge comes from reading fanfics or from looking up stuff. If something is wrong, please tell me so I can fix it. 
> 
> I want to say thank you to all those who have supported me throughout the years just by reading and commenting on my old stories. I logged onto this account to favorite a story and support the author and found myself rediscovering my love of writing because of those comments. I've been scared to write again because I was afraid that no one would like it. Maybe no one will like this. Maybe it will be horrible and the only comments I will get will be negative. But I'm passionate about it regardless. I've missed writing.

Dirt caked under fingernails that grew increasingly more fragile with every inch that Kagome scaled. Determination laced her face as long, skilled fingers instinctually scrambled to find purchase along the stone and muscular arms hefted her body up and away from the skeleton-littered ground. Her jaw tensed as she noticed the growing fatigue that pulled at her body in a way that she had not felt in years. She was deftly aware of the weight that her armor pushed against her, something that she had not noticed in a long time. Still, she climbed, gritting her teeth against the shock of her burning shoulders and arms. 

Kagome noticed that the bangs which had been neatly bound began to grow and loosen from their tight hold. Her military-esque bun began to sag as her hair continued to grow at the same alarming pace that her strength seemed to drain. Unbeknownst to her, the deep scars that had been ground into the skin beneath her heavy armor began to fade alongside her waning strength. Her physical appearance was changing, morphing into something that was both uniquely her and horrifically not. She began to thin slightly, the hard edge of each muscle began to soften minutely and the recent injuries that both marred and defined her dulled until her skin was completely free of them, with the exception of those that she was gaining as she climbed. 

The callouses that had decorated Kagome's hands and fingers seemed to vanish as well. Blood seeped from new wounds and Kagome had to stifle a gasp as her weakening body responded negatively to the harsh stone. A battle between needing to conceal her presence, to scale the Well with pristine stealth, and to curse the Well for whatever it had done to her played out for a brief moment before she coldly dismissed the latter from ever being an option. Survival made stealth a necessity, and if she were killed after six years because she couldn't handle a few scrapes then her training would have been for nothing. The lives of those she had held close, who believed in her to forge a new future and to protect those that would be left behind in the wake of their deaths, would have been lost for nothing. With one last push, Kagome dug the heel of her left foot into a small divot in the stone and lurched upwards until her fingers curled over the edge of the Well. With the utmost grace and poise, she launched herself over crumbling stone and into the lush but empty clearing. 

No one was there to greet Kagome as she rose from Bone Eater's Well but that did not mean that her arrival went unnoticed. She crouched low to the ground, brown eyes scouring the grass for any signs of life and taking note of the fact that there was grass at all. When she was satisfied that there was no human nearby, she sent out a probing quiver of reiki to look for the presence of youki. She nearly gave up until she found one small trace nearby. It was clear that the trace did not belong to a lesser youkai but rather, belonged to that of an extremely powerful one that knew how to nearly erase its presence to avoid detection. Narrowing her eyes, Kagome wrangled in the sense of unease that threatened to wash over her and she continued her search. Further out, in the direction that she knew Edo to be, Kagome found another small pulse of youki. While it was as weak as the small shred of youki she had just found, she knew that this trace did not belong to a powerful youkai. She rose fractionally once she discovered no other hints of youki, fingers dancing over where the hilt of her Tetsusaiga should be. Her fingers ran over nothing and the unnerve that she had felt by the presence of grass in the clearing and the existence of a powerful youkai grew tremendously. This concern was highlighted by the sound of two voices steadily heading in her direction. And the clearing was exactly that, it was nearly devoid of any trees and the amount of hiding places was limited to that of the bottom of the Well. Jumping down there would not only likely break her legs, but it would leave her cornered. 

"Kagome?" Her thoughts stopped. She felt as though her brain short-circuited. The small voice was far away, but it wasn't far enough away that Kagome couldn't recognize the sound as it carried in the wind. Turning slightly, hand now resting on the hilt of a dagger, Kagome positioned herself to receive the owner. Standing there, what seemed like both miles and mere paces away, was Shippo. Behind him stood a young but mature human female, but in front of Kagome was _her_ Shippo. 

Had she not been so disciplined, she might have wept at the sight. Instead, cautious eyes slid over possible advantageous vantage points and her stance unconsciously grew more defensive. The small, though slightly taller than what she remembered, kitsune called out to her again. He stepped forward, a smile bubbling onto his face as he took her acknowledgement as positive recognition, "Kagome? Is it really you?" The female behind him reached out and clutched his sleeve, halting any further forward movements. She called attention to Kagome's defensive stance, the fingers that itched to remove her dagger and slice the illusion before it caused her to forget herself. Kagome sucked in a deep breath as fear crept into those green eyes. From the corner of her own, Kagome took notice of someone edging their way closer to her. Their path was rushed and full of intent, obviously meaning to position themselves between the kitsune-human pair and herself. That made Kagome pause. 

Her eyes narrowed and she stood straighter, though her fingers didn't leave the hilt of her weapon. She took her eyes away from Shippo, her Shippo, to stare down the intruder. If they meant to intervene, could this be real? Could this not be an illusion? 

She took in the sight of Jaken and she nearly choked. She couldn't help but stagger backwards, eyes momentarily seeing stars due to the sudden onset of a blindingly painful ache in her temples. Her breath came out shaky, her fingers trembled and the pain in her shoulders and arms was suddenly brought forward. Her knees knocked, threatening to bow beneath her from the weight of what was before her and the agonizing pain shooting through her head, although she might have bowed regardless had it not been for a fourth entity making their presence known in that clearing. Kagome watched through one eye as Sesshoumaru gracefully leapt down from his position in the far away trees, wordlessly making his way over to his ward and her Shippo. He regarded her briefly, his gaze devoid of wariness. His face gave away nothing, the stoic mask in full display as he stood in front of his ward, and thus in front of Shippo. 

Before her stood four friends who she had held dearly. Before her stood four individuals who were long dead. Two protectors, two that she had failed to protect. Perhaps the cruelty of the Bone Eater's Well was not limited to just stripping away muscles that she had trained for over half a decade to build. 

The soft click of her armor as her body swayed slightly forced her away from her thoughts. Only seconds had passed since Shippo had called out her name but it felt as though time had both stopped and dragged on endlessly. It felt as though she had been standing in this clearing for years. Jaken opened his mouth to speak, his shrill voice coming out in a warble before stopping as Kagome dropped to one knee. Placing her right hand over her heart and letting the left settle behind her back, she spoke, "Master Jaken. Sesshoumaru-sama." Her throat felt raw, as though she had been screaming for hours and hours. Jaken began to go on a short tirade about how inappropriate it was for Kagome to address him first when he was cut off for the second time. 

"Rise." It was not a request, but a demand. Despite her protesting legs, Kagome bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment and rose at Sesshoumaru's command. Her back ached as she stood tall, her eyes set firmly ahead and refusing to meet Sesshoumaru's out of respect. Shippo whined, a sound that she strained to hear, and Sesshoumaru studied her for a moment before stepping to the side, silently granting his permission. Shippo lurched forward and in a fraction of a second, his arms were pressed around Kagome's waist. She glanced down at his shadow, taking note of how it matched his person. She looked towards Sesshoumaru, and when she found neither permission nor confusion, she displayed her lack of ill-intent by placing both hands on the small kitsune's shoulders. For a strange moment, it felt as though she had forgotten how to hug someone. Mindful of her weapons, though they were sheathed, Kagome wrapped Shippo in a gentle hug. Tears escaped his eyes and strangled sobs fell through his lips. The pain she felt in her temples spiked. 

"May Rin hug Kagome-chan?" 

Sesshoumaru seemed to pause, as though assessing Kagome's potential for harm to his ward. He clearly had different standards for the levels of danger that Shippo was allowed to be put in versus Rin. After a moment, "Hn." 

Rin crossed the short distance between them and leapt towards Kagome, arms wide open. Kagome only had a moment to move, positioning herself so that the young woman would not impale herself upon Kagome's armor. She lifted an arm away from Shippo, accepting Rin into the group hug now that the sharp ridges and distinct points of her armor were out of the way. 

She felt sick. The searing pain behind her eyes only grew in intensity. Kagome felt pained by what should have been minor injuries undeserving of a single thought. She felt a pressing ache in her muscles that should not be present by such little physical activity. She felt weighed down by armor she had proudly worn for years. She felt agonized by the kitsune in her arms, by the young woman who she had buried four years ago, the girl who now had her arms wrapped around Kagome's ribs. She was conflicted by the desire to truly lose herself in what she feared was just an illusion and the instinctively driven urge to keep her face as unreadable as possible in order to survive. Her reiki surged beneath her skin, unsure of how to protect her in this situation. 

For the second time, Shippo's voice drew Kagome out of her thoughts. "Why didn't you come back?" 

She hadn't realized that she had stopped looking at him or that Jaken was speaking, although she couldn't make out what he was saying. Blood pounded in her ears with the quick realization that something was horribly wrong. Her stomach dropped and the need to throw up grew as she realized something very important. She was in the right place but she was in the wrong time. She had climbed out of the Well and jumped into the clearing, exactly as she had expected. But none of the horrors that she had been forced to witness and work through had occurred. At least, the pivotal ones that changed her life hadn't. That was evident by the mere presence of the four surrounding her. But that couldn't be right. The memories were so vivid. The scars on her soul were too real. 

For the first time in a long time, Kagome thought about the completion of the Shikon Jewel and the consequences that followed. The hesitation that had come with deciding which era to stay in and the realization that the choice was never really hers anyway. 

Before she could fully reflect on that day, before she could decide how to answer the young kitsune in a way that would satisfy his sad curiousity and her need to shield him from the horrors that plagued her mind and soul, two things happened at once. Rin reminded Shippo that the Well had likely been sealed, as InuYasha could not go through the Well either, and Kagome's reiki instinctively pulsed, picking up the presence of a youkai that was drawing closer. And fast. 

Sesshoumaru must have noticed it as well, although the only form of acknowledgement he gave was an uninterested glance in the direction of the incoming youkai. Kagome lowered her chin and removed herself from the two sets of arms that had caged her in order to take up a protective stance in front of Shippo and Rin. Kagome pressed her reiki into the hilt of her dagger, infusing her power into the blade and ripping it out of its sheath just as the youkai found its way into the clearing. The blade dug into the grass just before the youkai, effectively halting its advance as a wave of reiki pushed against its youki. The immensely powerful spiritual energy burned with a warning towards the male youkai, who gazed at the odd gathering with dramatized hurt and confusion. Kagome recognized him immediately, although the hatred that roiled in her belly was not satiated by the new realization that he was not the same murderous youkai that she had come to know over the last six years. 

Kouga made an attempt to move forward past the reiki barrier but a crackle of energy stopped him. "Kagome?" He asked quietly, his eyes showing just how little he understood of the situation he had placed himself in. While her hatred could not be reigned in, her reiki could. She drew back her power, noticing how Jaken had seemed to be affected by the wave of spiritual energy, although not nearly as severely has Kouga would have been had he pushed forward. 

"How dare you try to harm Master Sesshoumaru! How are you assume that your weak miko powers would ever be able to-!" Sesshoumaru glanced down at the raving imp, silencing him, just as Kagome walked towards him. 

Kneeling in the same position that she had addressed him in earlier, Kagome spoke softly, eyes downcast and the back of her neck bared to display subservience. Kouga scoffed at the action, somehow more confused than he had been moments earlier. "I apologize, Master Jaken. Sesshoumaru-sama was not the intended target, nor was he ever. Please punish me for my insolence at daring to strike without having been guided to do so," 

Those words illuminated the vast misunderstanding between Kagome and the others. Her words were careful, aimed at stroking the imp's ego and making it known to others what her place was. But that was not the place they knew her to hold. The only one who did not openly make their bafflement at the current scenario was Sesshoumaru, whose only reaction was to instruct her to rise. Kagome did not ask for punishment again, instead she gracefully walked towards the wolf youkai, bending before him to pick up her dagger while keeping her fingers poised on the hilt of another. When she rose from her position, she stared into his blue eyes, unwavering in her attempt to try and intimidate him into identifying his purpose for seeking out this particular clearing. It had the opposite effect, the meeting of his gaze causing elation to bleed into his expression, taking over the cautious confusion that had painted his features previously. 

Kouga wrapped his arms around her, the act still unfamiliar enough for her to tense up and quickly raise the dagger that had still lingered in her fingers. From behind her, Shippo made a distinct mewling noise out of shock, the sound prompting Kagome to lower her weapon. "It's been so long!" Keeping his hands at her back, Kouga pulled away just far enough to rake his eyes over her form. He took note of the wolf pelt that stuck out of her armor slightly, but apparently enough for the wolf to see it. His eyes jumped to hers again and he bared his fangs in an ecstatic smile, "You came back for me! You're ready to become my woman," 

Disgust rolled over her as she fought to keep her dagger at her side. Images of him tearing through humans and youkai alike just to kill flooded her mind. She could recall the stench of the ruthless carnage he wrought and how it would be wafted towards wherever she was by his insane speed. That scent would follow him wherever he went, warning others of his passing. It was how she had come to know that it was him storming through the countryside. The stench that had not been present this time, otherwise she would have recognized him when she sensed his youki. Despite the knowledge that he had not just massacred an entire village, her fingers twitched, aching to race towards the Tetsusaiga hilt that, for whatever reason, was not there anymore. If it weren't for Shippo bounding over to rip her out of Kouga's arms, she may have settled for another weapon to slay the treacherous wolf. It was only then that the wolf seemed to notice that she was not in what he knew to be her traditional outfit. 

Although he had just studied her, he looked her over as though he was seeing her for the first time. His brows furrowed and he cocked his head to the side as he regarded her armor, "Where did you get that?" 

Kagome didn't answer. Instead, she presented her own question, as silent intimidation had not goaded him into giving her an answer. "Why are you here, wolf?" She refused to say his name, refused to give him that satisfaction. Shippo looked up at her with murky confusion, one hand resting on her arm and the other stretched out in front of her in an attempt to keep Kouga at bay, as the wolf was clearly displeased at his physical separation from Kagome. 

The way that Shippo looked at Kagome reminded her just how different they were. The past six years had been hell for her. For him, for all those gathered by the Bone Eater's Well, life had gone on. The only difference in their normal lives that she could tell was that she stopped popping up through the Well. The woman Shippo had loved was gone, as much as Kagome wished she wasn't. But Shippo doesn't know that, he can't understand why she was acting so weird. And the Kouga that Kagome had grown to despise was not a vicious murderer. 

Yet. 

Kouga quirked an eyebrow, "I was in the area when I felt that insane blast of reiki. I guess that was you coming home." He flashed a cocky grin and placed his hands on his hips with a sense of pride. "And I smelled you." 

Kagome suppressed an eyebrow twitch. She had gone to great lengths to ensure that her scent was indistinguishable, that she was under constant concealment through the controlled use of her reiki and the liberal use of herbs to erase her scent. She watched as the sense of pride seemed to dampen without her acknowledgement or praise. Kouga's hands fell to his sides and he turned to face the way that he had come. "Wonder when the bastard is going to get here," He shook his head in disappointment, his lips twisting into a feral grin as he began to recount his superior speed and how he had only grown faster since Kagome had last seen him. His words were lost on Kagome. She paid attention, but only to his stance, not to what he was saying. She mulled over the distinct change in conversation and what he meant when he mentioned "the bastard". Her lips parted and she spoke a phrase that was misinterpreted as a question but was meant to be more of a statement. 

"InuYasha is coming."


	2. Omens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've only gotten a total of maybe seven hours of sleep over the last four days so if something is off please let me know. I'll fix it

"InuYasha is coming." 

As if speaking those words manifested a greater sense of awareness, Kagome's eyes were immediately drawn to a glimpse of red peeking through a small wooded area far away. Unsure of if that flash was InuYasha or some other beast, but unwilling to take the chance, Kagome drew in her emotions carefully and recollected her thoughts. The hanyou was far enough that his presence had evaded her well trained senses at first but she would still ensure that she had the upper hand. Ignoring the searing pulse that shot through her head and threatened to force her to her knees, Kagome reached out an arm to place a careful distance between Kouga and Shippo. She applied a slight pressure to the kitsune, urging him to take a few steps back until he was standing behind her rather than in front. Kouga was only mildly dangerous compared to InuYasha. 

Kagome forced a heart wrenching image of the kitsune she had vowed to protect away from her thoughts before she could reflect on it too much. She had already accepted that something was different. When she had slipped down the Well, the loved ones that had been ripped away from her donned new life but the ones she had either torn apart or sworn to do so had also been granted another chance. 

Her fingers twitched with the want to draw her absent Tetsusaiga and the need to draw a weapon at all, but instead she straightened into a deceptively defensive position. Keeping her eyes on the path that the red flash was likely to follow, Kagome was keenly aware of the uneasy stance that both Rin and Shippo had shifted into, the contemplative silence that Sesshoumaru kept and the low rumble of Kouga's continuous ramblings. _Did he always talk so much?_

No sooner than when that thought passed through her ever burning mind, InuYasha's figure became clearly outlined, his silver hair and vibrant red clothing standing out amongst the comparatively pale green grass. He was steadily coming closer, the determination in his eyes lighting a fire in Kagome's blood as she fought the urge to leap towards the hanyou. Her eyes took the opportunity to use the closing distance to her advantage. She began to study his person, noting various things as she narrowed her eyes. Shippo's unease filled the air as he tried to step out from behind her, his voice seeming far away despite his closeness. "Kagome, it's just InuYasha." 

"That's the problem," Her voice came out before she could stop it. She had wanted to maintain the visage of defensiveness but the edge on her voice and the slight lean of her body in the direction of InuYasha gave away her offensive nature. She couldn't help but catch the glint in Kouga's eyes and the way his fangs glimmered in the sunlight. The sight of those fangs gave Kagome an eerie reminder that while this Kouga was not the same one that she had come to know and hate, he was very much still capable of committing the same crimes that the Kouga she knew was so fond of. 

Returning as much attention onto the oncoming hanyou as she could while still keeping an eye on Kouga and those capable fangs, Kagome prepared her reiki. She felt its heat as it simmered just below her skin, the holy warmth promising a hot wrath for those that Kagome deemed deserving. It had faltered when she had thrown the dagger at Kouga, a fraction of the explosive power escaping her control for the first time in many, many years; the slight lack of control had offended Jaken but that would not happen again. She knew that her control was impacted by the warring emotions that stirred within her from the sight of those long dead walking around and very much alive, along with the shooting pain in her head and the unfamiliar aches that seemed to reverberate from every muscle. But she knew how to combat all of that, how to regain control and to protect those that needed her. When InuYasha was close enough that Kagome could discern whether the feral smile on his lips was one of murderous anticipation or of happiness, she surged forward, leaping away from Shippo. She felt his hands try to wrap around the sleeves of the ragged kimono resting below her now loosely fitting armor and she jerked the fabric away just before his fingers could tighten around it. 

Rin called out her name just as she determined the distance between herself and the others to be enough. Whipping out another dagger, Kagome quickly imbued her reiki with the blade, the near-static energy sparking against the iron as she threw it directly at InuYasha. He barely had time to jump out of the way, not that it mattered. The controlled explosion that burst from the blade seared his exposed flesh, lapping at his hands and burning his cheeks. She had no hope of cutting through the tough red robe but she had predicted that InuYasha wouldn't stay directly in front of the dagger. 

"Kagome? What the fuck!" His exasperated words were cut off as she drew closer, her fingers plucking another dagger from its sheathe. Taking time to brandish the knife in front of him so as to further highlight her intent, she spied the hilt of the Tetsusaiga that rested firm against InuYasha's left hip. _Her_ Tetsusaiga. 

_Of course._ Kagome allowed herself a moment to reminisce on the absence of her beloved and trusted sword. _Of course he has it._ She watched as his hand slipped over the aged sword as if preparing to draw it. It was likely an unconscious act, but Kagome braced herself regardless, ready to both attack InuYasha and steal her Tetsusaiga back should the weapon be engaged. 

A small disturbance from behind her caught Kagome's attention. Turning slightly, she was unable to stop the mass of fluff as it descended upon her. She was barely aware of the dagger, the one that she had just taken out that was now pressed against her thigh with the point aimed towards the ground, as she was nearly forced to the ground by her new assailant. The only thing that stopped her from being knocked over was the instinctual digging of her heels as she leaned into the furry beast, pushing hard against it and locking her right knee to keep her leg straight. Raising her short blade slightly, Kagome gritted her teeth and pulled her face back to meet a set of large red irises belonging to one both extremely excited and extremely defensive nekomata. 

_Kirara.._

Kagome nearly fell over as the beast transformed into its smaller, more manageable size, only to feel her dagger slip from her fingertips as Kirara grew in size yet again, her back paw kicking the blade out of Kagome's hand. She quickly dropping into a low sweep, catching InuYasha's legs with her own outstretched one. He had attempted to sneak up on her, as though Kirara would be enough of a distraction to lower Kagome's defenses. InuYasha grunted and Shippo called out as the hanyou landed on his back in an attempt to keep the disregarded dagger from piercing the exposed skin of his hands. His hand had been poised too close to the dagger and he barked out a small curse as the sharp blade dug into his skin as his skin slid over it. The bark was more out of the inconvenience that the small cut would cause than pain, but Kagome relished in it momentarily regardless. 

The low sweeping action had more of an effect on her than she had planned it to have. Her legs, already weak and shaking from the exertion they had suffered when she had scaled the Bone Eater's Well, refused to cooperate as she tried to rise from her low and arguably disadvantageous position. With a small grunt of her own, Kagome lifted her face and met Shippo's eyes from across the clearing and lurched forward. Using her hands to bounce off the ground, she took off towards the clearly distressed kitsune. 

Wincing as her legs screamed at her and her fingers throbbed from the cuts they had sustained after the loss of protection that her callouses had once offered them, Kagome fought against the spots dancing at the corners of her vision and continued to edge towards the odd group of five that awaited her. She was faintly aware of the scuffle that sounded from behind her as InuYasha scrambled to his feet and began to make his way towards her. Despite the danger that he still proposed, he was no longer the one that she was worried about. 

No, she was worried about the blue eyed wolf who had snuck closer to Shippo after she had charged at InuYasha. She hadn't been happy with the short distance between her kitsune and the wolf youkai when she had ran towards InuYasha but she hadn't expected the distance to shorten in the time it had taken her to engage the hanyou. As she bridged the gap between herself and the odd little group, Kagome was vividly aware of the way each step forward caused her head to feel as though it were being slammed against a tree. 

Nearly upon the wolf now, Kagome noticed how her run had dissolved into a stumble. She looked into his eyes and noticed that his mouth was moving. Glancing to Shippo, she saw that his was as well. With a small huff, she raised her fist and forced it forward, the momentum of her weak punch combined with her exaggerated stagger causing her to miss her target completely. The last thing that filled her senses was Rin's strangled voice and a flash of white silk. 

"-maru please catch Kagome!" 

-

On the day that Sesshoumaru had felt oddly compelled to visit his adopted daughter at the hut she shared with Kaede in Edo, he noticed several things that made him aware that something odd was going to happen. The first indicator was the explosion of power that had forced Sesshoumaru's protective gaze away from Rin and Shippo. The surge sent a furious wave of holy energy through the air, the force strong enough to cause the wind to pick up and swirl the near electric pulses of power around. 

The second was Jaken immediately raving about the painful stinging sensation that darkened the imp's skin and singed his clothing. To Sesshoumaru, the unpleasant aura that washed over his clothing and small amounts of exposed skin was only slightly irritating. While he had a significantly different tolerance for holy power than the imp did, it was still odd that the rush of power did little more than disturb him. After he had ensured that his former ward and her odd choice of a friend were unharmed from the blast, he had abandoned the annoying imp in favor of seeking out the source. 

The third indicator had been when the Shikon Miko rose from the Bone Eater's Well. She had been insignificant before, and while she was much the same now, she was noticeably oozing with well-concealed power, the only thing giving away her strength being that the concentration of spiritual energy was thickest around her. The explosion had come from her. It was at that time, when she had first leapt from the Well and was surveying the area, clearly not thinking she had been spotted, he had noticed the armor decorating her small figure. It was not the same as his, but it had clearly been fashioned with his armor in mind, a small spiked pauldron loosely decorating each shoulder and attaching to her cuirass. The cuirass itself had seemed to dwarf her smaller frame.

Sesshoumaru had watched in amusement as the Shikon Miko had taken up a protective stance and raised a blade at both the wolf youkai Kouga and at his half brother. He wasn't particularly surprised, nor did her actions warrant much thought. He had remembered her being distinctly combative, especially with InuYasha. Perhaps not physically so, but he didn't know her well enough to determine whether or not she was physically violent, nor did he wish to. And regardless, years had passed since their last encounter. Perhaps the miko had simply changed over the course of time. Ordinarily, anything less than a century's passing wasn't worth noting in the life of a youkai, let alone a daiyoukai, but due to how such an inconsequential amount of time seemed to impact Rin, Sesshoumaru had to acknowledge that significant human development can occur over such a small amount of time. 

He had taking account of her skill as she pressed on in a short lived battle with InuYasha. If she were properly trained, she may grow to become an exceptionally powerful miko and a physically skilled warrior. She displayed acceptable levels of strategy while in combat and could control her spiritual powers with relative ease, although she was still a weak human whelp, as evidenced by her fainting after such a short encounter.

The fourth warning that something was odd was discovered after he had, at Rin's insistence, caught and carried Kagome off towards Kaede's hut. After Shippo and Rin had set out bedding for her and the miko had been placed gently onto the floor, Sesshoumaru had noticed the faded pattern on the kimono that rested below her armor. The fabric was discolored from what must have been constant exposure to the elements and was torn in various places but to an observant eye, the cherry blossom flower crest could clearly be seen dancing at the edge of her sleeves and on her collar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has an idea of a better chapter title, please let me know. I'm too tired to think of a good one but I don't want to leave it as 'Chapter 2'. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Again, please tell me if something is formatted weird or if the flow is off! 
> 
> Some notes: This is probably going to be a slow kind of fic until I can get my bearings. I'm trying to ease back into writing and its harder than I anticipated. If something seems weird or if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I'm sleep deprived but I'm also jumping back into something I haven't done in years. 
> 
> On that note, I'm gonna get some rest. I hope all of you had, are having, or will have a fantastic day


	3. Memories are Nightmares

When Kagome's mind edged back into something along the lines of consciousness, she found that her eyes were already wide open and taking in the scene playing out in front of her. She could feel the scorching heat of roaring flames behind her and the horrible pain in her head that had rocked her senses and forced her body to shut down was replaced by a distinct stinging in her eyes. She noticed that her lips were parted, her mouth gaping open and her throat feeling impossibly dry. When she tried to move, to get a better understanding of her surroundings, she realized that she was unable to move her own body. As if it had detected her desire to inspect the area while remaining as quiet as possible, her legs stumbled forward and her arm lifted so that she could cup her hand in a c-shape around her lips. Instincts screaming at her to stop but her body refusing to listen, Kagome felt horror wash over her as her voice escaped her pained throat. 

"Shippo? Shippo, where are you?" She called out, her voice coming out in a quiet rasp. Her cupped hand crumped into a fist as she coughed, closing her eyes to combat against the growing pain in her throat and in her eyes. When she opened them again, they darted to the ground. It was then that Kagome noticed the frayed and dirtied green skirt, once vibrant and now littered with vulgar stains and haggard tears. 

This was a dream. It had to be. She had burned those clothes a long time ago. _That would explain why my body does not feel like my own_. 

When her eyes slid away from the ground to continue fruitlessly searching for a hint of Shippo, Kagome noticed movement in the distance. She shouted at herself, at the young girl who continued to stumble forward, her steps borderline careless and all-but begging to be begging to be heard. Her feet noisily broke branches, the sounds seeming to echo loudly over the sound of the roaring flames behind her. 

_Please stop. Please._ Kagome pleaded. She vaguely remembered this moment, the memories coming back to her as her figure continued to step towards the movement. The fact that she hadn't recognized it immediately, had apparently repressed it, didn't bode well for the foolish girl. 

Suddenly, it felt as though she had stepped away from her own body. Rather than being forced to go along with its foolish whims, she was now watching her body blaze forward. She didn't know if that was worse, as she could now see her own face. She could see the gleam in her dark brown eyes that made it seem like the days that had led up to this moment hadn't forced her to abandon the blissful ignorance she had held onto about the true nature of the feudal era and those that lived in it. Despite that gleam, some of the careless youth had already been ripped from her facial features. Her lips were shredded from the grinding of her blunt teeth on the sensitive skin. Her face was scrunched into an expression of determined wariness with a childish hint of hope. 

Despite knowing what she would find, Kagome slid her eyes over her girlish figure. Her own hope had been foolish. This version of herself had no weapon other than her holy power, at the time unpredictable and untrained, and a bow, of which had been forgotten in the flames in her attempt to locate her kitsune friend. The part-time high schooler had no need nor want for weapons. She had believed herself to be the Shikon Miko and the ender of the greatest threat of evil that had ever been. Even now, even though she had been exposed to the treacherous nature of those that she had saved, she roamed relatively unarmed. There were no daggers slung over her hips. There were no concealed needles threaded within the fabric of her clothing. She had yet to destroy her former best friend and gain access to her greatest weaponry asset, her Tetsusaiga. 

The Shikon Miko had yet to become the Kirā Miko. The Killer Miko. That fact, while it didn't make witnessing this scene any easier, did ease her mind a little bit. But only a little bit. It reminded Kagome that this was a dream. She was not in the moment alongside her dream-self. She was not in any danger because of her former lack of tactical or survival-driven caution. She would only relive the moment if she allowed herself to get immersed in it. She had grown into the Kirā Miko, a name that had been gracelessly tacked onto her. A label that she hated but, for the sake of her sanity in this moment, she needed in order to differentiate herself from the girl who guilelessly charged ahead. The one going through this was the Shikon Miko. They were not the same. _We are not the same._

Kagome watched on, helpless as the younger woman crashed through the destruction towards her goal. The movement diverted, the youkai diving lower to the ground and into a pile of uprooted bushes as though it were trying to hide. "Shippo," She winced as her younger self coughed, clearing her throat and calling out again, this time louder. "Shippo! Is that you? It's me, Kagome!" 

Smoke continued to pour out from the ruined village behind her, adding to the devastating haze that had settled throughout the small forest. An untrained eye would not have been able to pick through the hot fog and the Shikon Miko's eyes could be considered untrained in this situation. Powerful and distraught emotions guided her, befuddling her senses significantly. She was looking through eyes that were not truly seeing, instead seeking out anything that might calm the storm raging through her. Casting her gaze to the ground since she could only see faint hints of motion amidst the smoke, the young girl continued forward until she was nearly on top of what she had believed to be her friend. The figure in front of her was small, small enough to be Shippo, and it had let out a soft whimper. "Help," It rasped from it's place below the shrubbery. "Kagome.." 

Dread surged from within Kagome's heart, the emotion seeping onto her face. She had been unable to share in the frantic miko's careless emotions before, but her heart sparked in fearful anticipation as she inched forward. Reaching out a hand, Kagome watched as her fingers slid through thin arms, stopping nothing as the Shikon Miko bent down, one hand resting on her scraped knee and the other stretching towards the presumably helpless creature. Her fingers brushed over the dirt as she used the back of her hand to raise the plant, revealing a set of red eyes offset by sickly green scales. The creature opened its maw, taunting her. "Kagome, help. Help me, Kagome." 

Kagome tried to turn away as the Shikon Miko's face fell and relief gave way to fear which flooded brown eyes that minutes ago had been so full of determination. Turning her body towards the source of the flames, Kagome found that, regardless of where she looked, the Shikon Miko and the snake youkai were still in front of her. It was only when the woman turned back, exposing her frightened face to Kagome, that she was able to see the blazing village. When the Shikon Miko whipped her head around to face the snake again, now with an expression of forced and weak anger that did not quite erase the fear, the image of burning huts and scorched bodies disappeared. But that glimpse that had only lasted a second was enough for Kagome to recall exactly when this scene was taking place. 

She had seen more than her fair share of smoldering villages but this had been the second one she'd seen after she had last slung her legs over the edge of the Bone Eater's Well with the promise to return to the feudal era if she were able to. This scene occurred nine days after that exact moment. Eight since she had stopped trying to jump down the Well with the hope of returning to something that wasn't disguised in faux familiarity. For something that held a resemblance of what she had deemed normal. If Kagome remembered correctly, she had been welcomed into the village hours before someone had set it on fire. The village was home to those like her, those seeking a respite from the insane surge of aggression that had seemed to take hold of nearly every single living being. They had offered her safety and protection and she had, unknowingly at the time, brought destruction and death. 

Kagome shifted away from her thoughts and the Shikon Miko's strained courage grew less and less convincing as the youkai grinned at her, slowly beginning to rise from its deceptively small size. The grating sound of its previously hidden body hissing against the grass as it grew and grew evoked a grimace from Kagome. She closed her eyes in an attempt to take a moment and regain her normally stoic countenance. The action was pointless, however, as even with her eyes close, she could still see the Shikon Miko and the snake youkai. The abnormal and disturbing stretch of its disgustingly humanesque lips relayed the sharp sense of elation that it felt. And why wouldn't it be happy? The smoke and burnt grass had offered ample protection from detection and the young woman had provided the demon the opportunity to fulfill its murderous desire. 

"Kagome." Its raspy voice warbled, growing in volume once it stood, although only slightly, over the now trembling miko. Haggard black school shoes slipped backwards and the girl put on a brave face, her arm stretching over her shoulder, fingers twitching to grasp at the bow that she had believed to be at her back. Her fingers met the air and then the sweat-laden shreds of her dirtied blouse. Realization crossed over the depths of fear that graced her face, further driving the sense of horror into her. "Kagome." It chirped, as though saying her name brought it unimaginable pleasure. "Kagome." 

"Kagome!" Both the Shikon Miko and the snake youkai tore their focus off of one another in order to address the small, desperate scream that had shot out through the trees. Not giving the youkai another opportunity, the Shikon Miko bolted in the direction of the voice. Her feet teared through the woods and crossed the distance between herself and the voice without a shadow of the clumsiness that had plagued her when she had unwittingly wandered closer to the snake youkai earlier. Kagome pursued, noticing how, despite the fact that she was not looking down, the miko's feet did not trample over scattered branches or slip along the blood-slicked grass. "Please!" The voice called out, and the miko charged at it with even more determination, her speed matched only by the snake that had caught up to her with ease and pressed past her. 

The voice was coarse but distinctly feminine and child-like. _Rin_. 

Kagome watched as the miko recognized that she would not beat the snake youkai to the eleven-year-old and diverted her path accordingly. She broke through the trees and located the small child, and, clearly not taking the time to wonder why the child was there in the first place, ran towards a medium sized rock that was randomly strewn out along the noticeably less-charred grass. It was rubble from one of the destroyed buildings from the village that now seemed to be far away, although how it got here Kagome wasn't sure. The young woman plucked the stone up and considered the weight in her hand. A new sense of determination lit up her eyes and illuminated her face. 

Kagome was silently thankful for her own quick thinking. She watched as her dream-self, reenacting a memory that she was now very much reacquainted with, took off towards the young child. The snake youkai had covered a lot of ground in the short time it had taken her to locate and obtain the primitive weapon and so the miko knew that she had to act fast. Kagome felt her own heart race within her chest as the young woman lurched forward. When she felt she had gained enough momentum, she leaned into the run, steeling herself for the task ahead. Accepting that her next actions would result in her own death. The woman slid to a stop and threw her arm backwards, relying on the energy she had gathered while running. With more poise and skill than she had ever known, the miko threw the rock at the snake's head just as it began to descend upon Rin. 

Despite the separation between herself and her dream-self that she had stressed so heavily, Kagome found herself moving instinctually, as though she were truly reliving the moment rather than witnessing it. _I have to save Rin,_ Kagome thought to herself as the stone slipped through the Shikon Miko's fingertips. A moment that seemed to last forever passed before the stone hit its target.

The snake youkai let out an enraged and guttural hiss, more so out of annoyance than pain, as the heavy stone smacked against the back of its head. Before it could blink, the miko dove past it, grasping at the disregarded rock and placing herself between the youkai and Rin. She didn't get a chance to reuse the weapon, however, as a set of claws dripping in acidic poison that melted the youkai's flesh pierced through its shoulder and ripped through its body. 

-

The loud sound of InuYasha arguing with Miroku to be allowed into Kagome's chambers forcibly urged Kagome out of her dreams. Her eyelids rose slowly, eyes feeling gritty from both having just opened after what Kagome assumed was a long slumber and the from the desire to allow herself be pulled back into that deep sleep's tantalizing call. Her brown eyes slid carefully over the dimly lit room only to land on Shippo's huddled form. She watched as his nose twitched, clearly resting well. Well enough that he was not bothered by InuYasha's voice. She let out a small content huff, casting a passing glance over to the wooden door next to Shippo that kept the inu-hanyou from her. Or, more accurately, protected the inu-hanyou from her. She knew better than to start a fight, instead taking the time to address the sensation of weightlessness that unnerved her. 

She had been changed and was now stripped of her weapons, her armor, and her kimono. She now donned traditional miko garb, the bright red color igniting anger that had not been present when she had first heard InuYasha's voice. A blurry feeling of familiarity that accompanied the sensation of being weaponless washed over her, the last remnants of the dream she had just been pulled from slipping from her consciousness but not without reminding her of the helplessness she had felt in her former clothing. Careful not to wake Shippo, Kagome silently rose and strode over to the door. Her fingers danced over the sunken in handle as she heard the faint whispers bleeding through the thin walls. The murmurs were barely audible over the brash inu-hanyou but Kagome could pick out some words and discern what Sango and Kaede were discussing. 

They were trying to justify her actions in the clearing. How she had so eagerly engaged both Kouga and InuYasha and would have likely harmed them greatly had she not fainted. "..Like Tsubaki?" Sango's voice pressed into Kagome's ears and she strained to hear Kaede's response. "...o...ss.." Kagome bit her cheek out of frustration. The other woman's voice was too soft, too weak in comparison to the voices of the others. It didn't carry well, especially not over InuYasha's incessant ramblings. 

Straightening her back, Kagome smoothed her fingers over the sunken handle and quietly slid the door open, startling InuYasha into silence. His face was drawn into an expression of wariness. His eyes crawled over her figure before returning to meet her own, his wariness easing up slightly once he realized that she unarmed. She fought to keep her face as impassive as possible, desperately wanting to ease him into a false sense of security by offering a smile. She wanted to demonstrate that she was incredibly dangerous with or without physical weapons. Opting not to bless the inu-hanyou with even a splash of the holy power that pooled in her veins and pulsed alongside her blood, Kagome pushed past both him and Miroku towards the two women she had heard speaking just moments earlier. 

InuYasha began to speak but Miroku cut him off, verbally and likely physically, though Kagome hadn't seen it. "How are you feeling, Kagome-san?" He asked gently, his hand reaching out to cup her elbow. The honorific sounded odd as it passed through his lips, and Kagome realized it had been a long time since she had clearly heard his voice. She allowed herself a moment to reminisce for a second before she jerked her arm away from the monk's hold. Not wanting to offend him, she bowed slightly at the waist and spoke softly, "I am well, thank you." 

Miroku regarded her stance calmly but cautiously. "Surely you must be thirsty or hungry. Perhaps I can get you something to eat or drink? You are shivering, are you in need of warmer clothing?" His words drew Kagome's attention to the noticeable tremor in her legs and the light shaking of her shoulders and arms. It appears that the rest that she gained was far from enough, her body still showing signs of heavy exertion. 

Before she could open her mouth to reply, InuYasha barked out, his voice heavy with his annoyance, "What she **needs** is to apologize to me! She attacked me!" The emphasis on 'need' and the snarl in his words caused her own anger to spike. Another figure pressed their way into her peripheral vision just as she was about to go back on her decision not to reveal her well-concealed power and bypass the monk in order to press her reiki into InuYasha. Kagome's eyes swept over Sango's well defined body just before the older woman stepped passed the two males in order to pull Kagome into an embrace. 

The odd feeling of a hug wasn't one that Kagome thought she would ever get used to again. Stiff in Sango's arms, Kagome twitched as the demon slayer whispered into her name into her ears. It felt less threatening when it slipped through the lips of an old friend rather than those of a deranged youkai but the slight edge in Sango's voice informed Kagome that the older woman was still wary of her. Kagome doubted that Sango would hurt her, but she certainly wouldn't sit idle as Kagome waged war against InuYasha either. 

Kaede hobbled into view from wherever she and Sango had been gathered previously. Rin bounced out from behind her, a childish grin stapled overtop what Kagome now noticed was a very mature face. She had taking account of the change in Shippo but she had been too focused on the kitsune to fully address the changes that had occurred within Rin after she had affirmed that the girl was alive and well. Doing a quick mental tally, Kagome estimated her to be between the ages of eighteen or nineteen years of age. She had grown taller, her brown eyes meeting Kagome's own with relative ease. The girl, now a woman, though Kagome was hesitant to admit it, charged at Kagome with open arms. _Has she always been so fond of hugs?_

Sango broke from the embrace first, placing a gentle hand overtop Rin's shoulders as the girl nuzzled her way into Kagome's arms. _Has she always been so fond of me?_ Kagome brought her arms up and around Rin's shoulders, minding the hand that rested on the girl's left one. "Are you feeling better now, Kagome-san?" 

Quirking an eyebrow at Miroku when she heard the honorific, Kagome took a moment to think before answering. "Yes, Rin. I am alright now, thank you for your concern." 

Despite Kagome's attempts to be quiet, Shippo emerged from the room. A hand was fisted over his right eye, rubbing out the last dredges of sleep. Letting out a yawn, he sleepily asked, "Is everything okay?" He lowered his hand, eyeing Kagome. The attentive caution that laced his gaze was the same as the expression that had graced everyone's when regarding her, but for some reason it stung coming from Shippo. He looked as though he had yet to determine whether she was a threat or not. "Is Kagome-mama okay?" 

His words sparked a surge of heat through her. It felt as though her heart were both melting and breaking at the sound. He was wary of her, but still cared deeply for her despite how she had attacked InuYasha. "Yes." She croaked, ashamed at the emotion that seeped into her voice. "I am okay." 

As quick as they had gathered, the group began to disperse. Rin dragged Kagome outside, talking with her as though the two had always been close and the six years that had passed had been mere hours. Shippo tagged along for a short while, offering small comments here and there but after a short while, he had left, satisfied that nothing was going to happen in his absence. Kagome had been asleep for several days and he had been with her every minute of her much needed rest, neglecting his training in favor of keeping a watchful eye over his friend. Kagome marveled at the sense of duty her kitsune had grown to possess, the sense of initiative that had been fostered in her absence. 

In the short hours that passed, Rin filled the time with her endless chatter. She'd sat Kagome down, likely keeping Kagome's exhaustion in mind, and talked about countless things, topics blurring together as she jumped from one to the next only to double back. She talked about everything and anything, and in an odd way, Kagome found it endearing. The short time that she had spent with Rin beyond the Bone Eater's Well had been focused around endurance and survival. There hadn't been time for such frivolous conversations. Maybe Kagome couldn't get used to hugs or physical touch and affection, but she would like to get used to the happiness that was etched across Rin's features. The happiness that Shippo had all-but oozed before he'd left to train. The content that had settled over Sango, Miroku, and Kaede when they realized that Kagome would not go after InuYasha or Kouga again. The almost uncaring ease that Sesshoumaru had displayed as he allowed Kagome to stay near his former ward. 

_Peace,_ Kagome realized when Rin had goaded her back inside the small hut, eager to fill her own stomach with the delicious food that Sango had promised them. The girl hadn't given her much time to think over the last few hours, but there was one thought that filled her head and echoed through her soul. As Rin led Kagome by the hand into the hut, following the aromas that wafted from the open door, Kagome took the time to acknowledge the thought as it passed, a new desire reverberating in her skull. _I would like to get used to this peace._

-

"I am going to get seconds, Kagome-san!" Rin cheerfully exclaimed, her eyes carefully landing on the wolf youkai who had tripped over himself to occupy the same space as Kagome. The others had left the two women alone but he had apparently grown impatient with being kept away from who he still insisted was his woman. He had spent the time that the two girls had used to eat to stare at Kagome and the desire in his eyes had not gone unnoticed. Kagome's strangely fragile figure, softened by her travel through the Bone Eater's Well, filled out her miko garb nicely. The clothing was still a little big for her, but her new body filled out her current outfit much better than it had her armor, something that dismayed her greatly. Her curves were concealed by every fold of excessive fabric but when she moved, her curves were highlighted and her womanly figure was brought to light. 

She watched with concealed amusement as the young girl, _woman_ , narrowed her eyes at Kouga in warning before turning her gaze to Kagome yet again. "Would you like more?" Shaking her head in the negative, Kagome allowed her stoic expression to slip as she offered a gentle smile and a word of thanks to Rin before the young woman took off. Reaching into her bowl in order to finish off the few tasty morsels that remained, Kagome reflected on Kouga's gaze yet again. He clearly didn't think of her as a threat and was pleased with how she had seemed to permit his wandering gaze. He did not know that the reason she did not melt his eyes from inside his skull was to keep that smile plastered on Rin's face, to maintain the girl's happiness. When she could hear Rin's incoming footsteps, Kagome murmured just loud enough for Kouga to hear and without lifting her eyes from her food, "If you keep ogling at and drooling over me, I will rip your tongue out through your eye socket." 

"Kagome-san!" Rin shouted as she entered the room, unable to sense how the mood in the small room had shifted. The young woman had her arms drawn close to her chest, cradling three bowls as though they were precious children. "I brought more food for all of us!" Pleased with the silence that came from the wolf, Kagome smiled up at the young woman and received the food she had not wanted gratefully. Their brown eyes met and Kagome thanked Rin graciously before the woman wandered over to Kouga. Upon meeting Kagome's glare, he received his bowl and offered his own muttered thanks. 

Kagome listened as Rin began to talk again, filling the silence with ease. Shippo joined them just as Kouga exited the room, respectfully having stayed long enough to finish the food that Rin had brought him. Her threat, which had been light compared to what she wanted to say, had been enough to deter his gaze. He was not used to promises of violence coming from her, and if he behaved accordingly, he wouldn't need to grow accustomed to it. 

_He won't behave._ Kagome listened thoughtfully as Shippo and Rin filled her in on what she had missed. _And I'll be glad when he doesn't._ Kagome had been faintly aware of how the only topics Rin had kept away from were ones that probed Kagome for answers. Kagome could sense the curiosity in them both, but they knew better than to question her about what she had been through over the last six years. Possibly in an attempt to coach her into telling them about her experiences, they contented to telling her of all the things that had happened since she was last with them. 

Kagome was surprised when she felt the first swell of elation, weak but present, pulse through her chest. When the two were arguing about whether or not one's retelling was more accurate than the other's, Kagome dropped her guarded stoicism, a genuine smile upturning her lips only slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all, hope you are having a good day. Today, I made a fantastic impression on my behavioral neuroscience professor when, not realizing that I was unmuted, I called out to my boyfriend and said "Look at this old ass man and his absolutely sick background!" 
> 
> Kirā means "Killer, destroyer, or temptress". For the purpose of this story, it's going to be used to mean 'Killer'. I couldn't find a way to say 'Priestess of Death' without seeming wordy. Just want to note, that label is meant to seem edgy, so if it makes you cringe as though Kagome is some OP Mary Sue, that's a good thing. 
> 
> As always, any suggestions are welcome. If my translation is off or if anything is weird, please tell me. I got three and a half hours of sleep last night, and while I don't want to use my lack of sleep as an excuse, I know that it has an influence on my writing and I may have not caught a mistake while reviewing this chapter. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
> 
> Also, a special thanks to back07angel who has been commenting and giving suggestions. I appreciate it and wanted to outline their contributions to the story.


	4. Sparring partners

If there was a word for the conflict that InuYasha was suffering through, he didn't know it. InuYasha didn't like to deal with emotions; why figure things out internally when you can fight them out externally? But inside him, a tumultuous war of emotions surged through his body, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. 

Kagome was back. She was returned to him. 

He had waited, never straying too far from Kaede's village, from Edo, or from The Bone Eater's Well, in hopes that she would come back. He had waited until he could wait no longer. The need for action urged him to link up with Kouga, that annoying wolf, in order to stay productive. Even if all they did was patrol undefined borders. Even if all they did was his take on boring diplomatic work that in the grand scheme of things didn't matter. It was something. It was productive. 

InuYasha had waited faithfully. He had held onto the desire to see Kagome again. If he could only see her one more time, he would take the chance eagerly. When she had promised to return if she were able, he hadn't really considered that she might not be able to pass through the Well again. It wasn't a possibility that he favored and so he, irrationally maybe, hadn't even allowed the thought to cross his mind. But as the weeks stretched into months, which eventually gave way to years, he began to like that possibility a lot more. A lot more than the angry and hurt possibilities that raced through his mind constantly. 

The possibilities that entertained the idea that maybe she didn't want to come back. Maybe Kagome had hated being with him so much that she had sealed the passage from her end and never looked back. Maybe she only tolerated her time in the Feudal Era and now that Naraku was defeated, she didn't want to be here now that there was no need to be. Maybe Kagome feared that she may end up her own ancestor, a weird and confusing idea that Miroku had once proposed in passing once, months after Kagome had left for the last time. 

There were too many 'maybes' and each one brought a new set of emotions that tore InuYasha up. It was when those thoughts began to take over his mind that he had sought out productivity. He would be patient but he wouldn't be idle. The thoughts had lessened then, when he filled his days with hunting and learning about all the bureaucratic nonsense that Kouga had to put up with. InuYasha let the time slip by him in a blurry haze, trying to chase away the thoughts and emotions that begged him to be irrational, that spoke to how incomplete he felt without Kagome. 

But he waited. Patiently. He never strayed too far, never far enough that word of her arrival would take more than a few days to reach him. He waited. As the time continued to pass, he had entertained another set of 'maybes' a few times. Maybe Kagome would no longer be in love with him. Maybe she would have forged a relationship with someone else and she wouldn't be his. He had to accept that, and if, _when_ , she came back, he would seek her companionship instead. If she came back to him and she was without another then he would claim her in all the ways that he had never done. He would celebrate her existence and if her love for him had faded, he would remind her of his love, of the feelings that they had shared, and he would make her fall for him again. 

And so, for years, he had waited. Faithfully, patiently, expectantly. 

On the day that his patience had been rewarded and The Bone Eater's Well had opened up again, he had been hunting with Kouga. The burst of power from the passage reopening had sent them scrambling back to the friends that InuYasha had left behind. The source of the explosion was in the direction of where Kaede and Rin and Shippo resided and it was extremely powerful. The burning sensation lapped at Kouga's skin and caused InuYasha to curse profusely as he raced into what he believed to be extreme danger. And then, all at once, the power was gone. Its effects were still felt, but it wasn't as pressing. Whomever possessed it was not using it offensively. 

The connection between the power and the Well was not immediate, but once InuYasha scented Kagome, everything clicked. Her scent was faint, as though something had tried to drown it out, but it carried well on the wind. Well enough that even InuYasha had smelled it. The sudden absence of whatever power had just burnt InuYasha's skin made InuYasha pick up speed. Kouga had gone ahead ahead of him, his long legs carrying him faster than InuYasha could hope for. But he endured, racing as fast as he could towards Kagome. At the time, his heart had swelled painfully in his chest, winding him as he came closer to his friend.

And she had attacked him. He had been confused. Hurt. Everything happened so fast that he hadn't been able to take in her own fear. Her own wariness. The way that she had attacked him as though she was a cornered animal and he was the predator that had backed her in. Instead, he only focused on what was happening and the emotions surrounding it. 

_Kagome is attacking me._ Kagome _is attacking me._

After that moment, InuYasha had been forced to come to terms with another 'maybe' that he didn't think of. It was so inconceivable, even more so than the possibility of her not being able to return had been, that he had never even thought about it. 

_Maybe Kagome won't be the same._ Not just changed by the natural progression of time, by new relationships and experiences. _Maybe she just won't be the same._

And so now, standing in the bitter cold that the night had cloaked him in, he was distinctly aware of the pressing emotions that caused a cacophony of emotions in him. The ones that he could not name, the ones that he didn't want to feel. Betrayal, anguish, confusion. It felt like every emotion possible was swirling within his heart and clouding his mind. 

And he hated it. Watching the moonlight filter through the leaves of the trees overhead, InuYasha hated it. Seeing the beautiful woman before him, wrought with determination as she exercised and trained, InuYasha hated it. He hated how these emotions gave him an insight into the depths of himself that he didn't care to explore and he hated how he couldn't just lash out and force them to go away.

Kagome stood, quietly sizing up the training dummy in front of her. She had tied her hair back using the traditional and flimsy ties that Kaede often wore. They had been set out for her in place of the hair ties that had been pulled from her own hair a few days ago. The ones that had bent but sharp needles pressed into them, easy and accessible weapons in case she was without. When he had handled the ties pulled from her hair, the needles had pricked his palms and fingertips, drawing blood. 

Separated from her talkative anchor, Kagome was quick to address the cause of her loss a few days ago. _Weakness._ She may have said, asserting that the tremors in her legs and how she had fainted. _Exertion._ Inuyasha would have said, referencing the explosion of reiki that had predated her arrival. 

Having been stripped of anything resembling a weapon, a well-worn broom acted as Kagome's sword. With practiced ease, Kagome pressed the cleaning instrument through the dummy and sliced upwards, her movements hindered, but not stopped, only by the visible trembling of her arms. She had been out here for a while, something InuYasha was well aware of. He had been awake when she had slipped from her room quietly. 

She did not pause, even as aging straw left the body of the dummy. Thin yellow strands fluttered to the ground only to be stomped on by agile feet as Kagome circled and landed a well-placed hit to the head of the dummy. It's stuffed skull separated from the now maimed body, bouncing on the ground a few times before stopping a few steps away from Kagome. Satisfied, the woman raced to the next one, her feet silent as she danced over to her new target. InuYasha watched as Kagome's skilled fingers turned the blunt broom handle into an impressive weapon. Although she was facing off against lifeless bodies, her speed and agility made it clear that she could likely hold her own against something a little bit livelier. 

Another set of eyes peeked through the trees above. InuYasha could sense his brother's presence, ominous and unconcealed. Although he couldn't see the bastard, InuYasha was well aware that Sesshoumaru's eyes were watching Kagome closely, just as his were. Sesshoumaru had taken up a watchful position over Kaede's village, but he'd found no need to disguise himself or hide. The bastard was also apparently not in need of sleep. 

The third and last pair of eyes in the clearing met his with a surprised sharpness. Despite the fact that he was downwind and well-hidden in the shadows, Kagome had tossed her head over her shoulder. Her eyes marked his position and gave him a sense that, although it was the first time she'd acknowledged his whereabouts in the hours since he had located her, she had been well aware of his location the entire time. 

InuYasha recalled how even in her sleep, Kagome's reiki responded to his presence. And not in a good way. Of course she had known that he was watching her. 

InuYasha then recalled what she had said to Kouga a few hours ago. Her words had been harsher than anything he could remember her saying before, but the threatening lilt that had teased her voice was familiar. It dug in the fact that that it really was her, and not some cruel illusion. The woman in front of him was his Kagome. _And maybe I don't know her anymore,_ InuYasha thought to himself. _She doesn't know me anymore either. But maybe that can change. Fuck, I've been patient for over half a decade. I can be patient again._

He drew himself out of his thoughts in order to meet her eyes. Taking in her figure, he allowed himself a deep breath. The moonlight made her look ethereal. As though she had grown into a goddess rather than whatever warrior-esque woman she had built herself up to seem like. _Maybe she can be both._ She'd certainly be a lot more useful than he remembered her being that way. 

Her face was drawn up into an unreadable mask eerily resembling the one his brother often had. Both small strands and large groupings of hair had fallen from where she had tried to secure them, the black hair framing her beautiful face. Her clothing had been fashioned so that it didn't get in the way of her training. She had bundled up the excessive folds and had tied them to each other neatly. It looked mostly functional, but it also looked really weird. InuYasha had never seen something like that be done, using the clothing itself to secure extra fabric. He supposed that she may have just changed into something that fit her a little bit better had she been able to. 

The wind shook a few wayward leaves his way. It also made him aware that, aside from the shuffling sound of rustling leaves, the only sound that he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, which had grown louder while he was assessing her figure. 

She wasn't pressing her spiritual powers into him, and for that, InuYasha was silently grateful. Taking a step away from what he had thought was a well-hidden position, InuYasha thought of a way to lower her defenses. Whenever she was ready to tell him what she had endured, he would be there to listen. For now, he would display himself to be exactly how she had remembered him to be. 

InuYasha smirked, his voice cutting through the relative silence that had caused his ears to ring, "Need a sparring partner?" She said nothing, but when he was close enough that he was only a few steps away, he gestured towards the broom in her left hand and haughtily added, "I'll only use the sheathe of the Tetsusaiga." 

Although she had kept her eyes on his when he was approaching, she must have surveyed his body well. Her eyes still didn't leave his as she lunged, deft fingers pushing aside the sleeves of his robe. _She's so close._

Time seemed to slow and her lips twitched, fighting back a feral grin as her fingers curled over the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. Her eyes were cold and unfeeling, those brown pools highlighting a distinctive difference between the Kagome who had scaled the Well and the Kagome who had jumped down it. This difference became more and more clear as the moment stretched on. 

Kagome's impassive mask fell and hidden anticipation gave way to visible glee as light briefly poured from the sheathe of his sword. Kagome wrenched it from his side and the blade that slid out of the sheathe was not the rickety old blade it had been made to be disguised as. Instead, the sword that drew from the sheathe was the Tetsusaiga in its true, majestically powerful form. 

Time sped up as Kagome's eyes flashed. She jumped back in order to separate herself from him. Before he could act, Kagome hurled the blade skywards. Her movements were quick, and if the last hours, days really, had exhausted her in any way, she didn't show it. InuYasha's eyes left Kagome's face in order to follow the blade, his body lurching to the right so that he could get to it. Because he had torn his gaze from hers in order to watch the Tetsusaiga sail through the air, he missed it as her right arm cocked back. He didn't miss it, however, when her fist connected with his face. 

It was more the shock of it rather than the force behind it that sent him to the ground. InuYasha rubbed at his cheek, looking up at the woman looming over him, his eyes heavy with the emotional turmoil that came with Kagome attacking him. Her impassive mask had been replaced, her eyes full of something akin to indifference. 

InuYasha realized then that, while he hated dealing with emotions, maybe it was time to address them. To address hers. Because, as her lips opened and her voice broke over the sound of the Tetsusaiga digging into the ground several feet away, he acknowledged two things. One was that this Kagome both was and wasn't the one he knew. The second was that the war of emotions waging within her, and the emotions it made her feel about him, was not something he could physically fight. 

"Sure, hanyou. Let's spar." 

-

Helplessness was not a feeling that Kagome liked. It was not a feeling she would allow. The lack of trepidation within the eyes of those she considered enemies lit a fire under Kagome that burned away all remnants of nostalgic familiarity and reminded her of how high her guard should be raised. 

Looking down at the inu-hanyou, Kagome couldn't help but fight down the feeling of satisfaction that had come with defeating him. His eyes didn't hold any fear but they would. Provided she was patient, bided her time and used it correctly, they would. 

When she was training, she had been keenly aware of the two sets of eyes that followed her movements. They watched her obliterate the straw dummies, they watched perform exercises that would increase her strength, and now, both had watched her effortlessly display that she was a force to be reckon with. The Tetsusaiga had responded to her. Despite being physically weakened, she had still forced InuYasha to the ground, and she had done so easily. 

Kagome recognized that these youkai were not the same that she had come to know. But they had yet to realize that she also was not the same woman that they believed they knew. They would come to realize this fact. Kagome had always been seen as a reincarnation within these lands. She was always the resurrection of Kikyo. A ghost walking around in someone else's body. But, soon enough, they would all see her for who she was. _A threat._

Kagome straightened her back and walked over to the disregarded sword that rested a few feet away. She heard the shuffle of footsteps, both those belonging to InuYasha as he raised and those of curious and sleepy people who had been drawn to the sounds of her and InuYasha's brief clash. Kagome had tried to be quiet but InuYasha was a naturally loud being. 

Shippo was the first to break through the trees into the area that he normally used for combative training. Miroku followed, then Rin, and then Sango, who aided a curious Kaede. Without missing a beat, Kagome grabbed Tetsusaiga's hilt and freed it from where it had been lodged into the ground. She watched with veiled happiness as the weapon flashed, revealing its true form to her. _For_ her. Spinning on her heels, Kagome offered the blade to InuYasha, who now stood only inches from her. 

His anger and disbelief melted into confusion and he took the blade from her. "Thanks," He muttered, clearly unsure of how to react. She said nothing in response, passing over his words in favor of acknowledging Shippo. 

"What are you guys doing up?" The young kitsune asked. His kept his gaze pointedly between them, eyes shooting from her to the Tetsusaiga that InuYasha held suspended in the air. With a dismissive grunt, the hanyou returned the blade to its sheathe and looked off to the side. 

Bowing down slightly so she could look into his eyes, Kagome answered, "We couldn't sleep and so we decided to spar." She took her eyes off of Shippo in order to gesture towards the destruction she had rained down on his dummies. "I'm sorry about what I did." 

Rin spoke next, "You should be resting." Kagome raised an eyebrow at the girl's tone. Combined with the absence of Kagome's name, Rin's tone made her sound like a disappointed mother chastising an unruly child. In response, Rin waved a hand at Kagome's form. "Your body needs to rest. You're shaking." 

Kagome looked down, hating how her own weakness had to be outlined again and again by others. For some reason, she was incapable of keeping her body in check. She had regained the emotionless mask that she had lost in the heat of swirling emotions but she could not force her body to stay as unreadable as her face. "Yeah, Kagome-mama." Shippo took a step forward, fingers reaching for her loose sleeves and flinching when she pulled her arm back sharply. Kagome remembered that the clothing she wore now was not full of needles, and thus proposed no danger to Shippo, just as his face fell. The grogginess in his eyes changed into something pained, "You didn't even say anything before you left."

Kagome wondered if he'd meant when she left a few hours ago or when she'd left a few years ago. 

Just before she could apologize again, the sound of Jaken cursing them out for making so much noise and Kouga returning from a lone hunting excursion filled her ears. The wolf had left shortly after Kagome had threatened him and Jaken had been resting at base of the tree that his master used as a makeshift watchtower. Both were far enough away that they would not have noticed the sounds of her and InuYasha fighting but the additional voices and footsteps drew their attention quickly. 

"What is the meaning of this!" Jaken squawked out, his voice carrying the sounds of his frustration and annoyance. "Master Sesshoumaru needs his rest! We leave at dawn for the Western Palace!" Idly, Kagome wondered how such a loud person ever survived the hell that she had adapted to. Knowing the answer, Kagome slid her gaze up to the trees. She knew where Sesshoumaru resided, she had known from the moment she had stepped out to train hours earlier. 

Kagome absently chewed the inside of her cheek as she turned back towards Rin and Shippo. "I am sorry, I did not want to wake you." She shot a glance over to Rin before adding, "You both are also in need of rest. I was wide awake and in need of a distraction." She didn't have to say any more, a look of realization passing over both of their faces. They recognized that she felt like an outsider. They were acting as though nothing had changed but even they had to admit that Kagome's sudden arrival, while new and exciting, was odd. And they recognized that Kagome had her own feelings about the matter that contrasted theirs greatly. 

Offering a small bow, Kagome distanced herself from a confused Shippo and disappointed Rin. She was walking in Kouga's direction, although that wasn't her goal. She didn't even spare him a glance, although she picked up the eagerness in his eyes before it was crushed into an expression of dejection. He stayed silent as she passed, and Kagome continued working her way towards the raving Jaken. Sango had made it there first, having left Kaede's side in favor of admonishing the imp for his loud voice and the insults that he had tossed so carelessly at the odd group.

Collecting herself before the imp, and thus before the daiyoukai, Kagome called out. "You're returning to the West? I would like to go with you." Her lips crumpled for a moment but quickly smoothed out before the scowl could be discerned. "If it pleases you, my lord." 

Kagome recognized that her actions a few days ago had been inappropriate. She had displayed a sense of subservience that should have been reserved until she'd had a better understanding of what was going on. She had been caught up in her emotions, in the shock of seeing the dead act as though they had never been slain. Some of them mingling amongst their killers as though they were friends. She had been drawn towards those that she had learned to trust with her life, but now that she recognized that the Sesshoumaru and Jaken she knew were vastly different than the ones before her, she knew that she had to be cautious. 

Still, it would be better than staying near InuYasha, near Kouga. 

-

Sesshoumaru thought about the miko's request. He did not glance down at the fingers that had so easily stolen the Tetsusaiga from his brother's side but he did acknowledge their worth. Additionally, the spiritual power that resided within her interested him. She had displayed a strong sense of discipline and once she'd gotten a hold of her emotions, she'd gained a better control over her reiki. 

Sesshoumaru was in no need of her combative skills. He had an army that could obliterate any foe that dared stand in front of him. And even if someone could cut through his army, they surely could not cut through him. But he could smell his brother's indignation, the anger that came with the miko's words. While he and his brother had not been at odds in a long time, he couldn't deny that he liked the scent. 

If she wanted to leave behind her pack, he couldn't stop her. She was going to do as she pleased. He was not in need of another soldier but he was certain he could find room for her. He was certain she would be of some use. 

Dropping from his position in the trees, Sesshoumaru gracefully landed behind his retainer, who had been babbling before the miko had even spoken. Cutting off Jaken's ramblings, Sesshoumaru gave his answer. 

"Hn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LONG chapter. Wasn't sure whether or not I should break this one up or not! As always, if something is off, please let me know! I appreciate any and all feedback that I get. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this story. Please have a good day!


	5. Healed Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry that it's been a little bit. Between working, school, and prepping for grad school, I've been a little bit bogged down. I don't want to set a deadline to post because I feel like I've got enough deadlines. I'll definitely try to update at least once every two weeks!

If Jaken's exasperation was as subtle as he would later recall it to be, then InuYasha's own emotional reaction must have been as well. Three voices rang out in the dark at the same time, all echoing the same word and the same disbelief that they all felt, although with different secondary emotions. 

"What?!"

Jaken's voice held pure disbelief. Kouga's, a surprising voice in the training site, was one of resigned disbelief. The stunned silence that had settled over InuYasha had been erased, as Kagome's words and Sesshoumaru's response had coaxed him into a state of fury. His voice had a heavy anger to it. InuYasha began to speak again, his voice coming out in a garbled grunt as he was cut off. 

Since she had been facing Jaken and Sesshoumaru, Kagome did not notice that Shippo had stepped away from his place beside Rin. She was reminded that her situational awareness had slipped when the kitsune's voice, quiet but confident, sounded from behind her. "I want to come too."

Kagome turned around to face Shippo, arching a brow at him quizzically. He continued, his words coming out a little quieter, "You just came back. I'm not going to just let you leave, Kagome-mama." Her stoic facade cracked just a little bit as her eyebrows sloped downwards at the inflection in his voice. Her sadness was wiped off her face when Shippo looked passed her, "Besides. I could learn a lot from you!"

Jaken scoffed. "Do you think Master Sesshoumaru has time to spare for _you_? Do you-!" He was cut off for the umpteenth time since Kagome had dragged herself out of the well as InuYasha stomped forward. 

"Oi! What the fuck?" His body was animated in a way that she hadn't given it time to be earlier as he reached down, scooping the kitsune up so he could examine him closer. "What. The. _Fuck_?" He repeated, his volume growing louder with every word. Kagome's body twitched into motion and she lurched towards InuYasha, stretching her arms out so she would be ready to yank her Shippo away from the hanyou who had already taken him away from her once. Before she got the chance, a gentle but firm hand wrapped around her wrist.

Whipping her body back around, Kagome glared at Sango. She had nearly forgotten that the woman was there, as she had been so quiet. Speaking through gritted teeth, she warned the demon slayer rather than asked her, "Let. Me. Go." She tried to wrench her hand free, but Sango's grip was firm. Sango shook her head and then nodded towards Shippo and InuYasha. 

"You've been gone for a while, Kagome. He can hold his own now." Kagome felt a wave of doubt but relaxed her arm and turned back towards the quarreling pair just as Sango spoke up again. "Trust him." 

Shippo was sporting a mean glare of his own, his hands crumpled into fists and his lips drawn back into something akin to a snarl, showing off small but sharp fangs. The expression looked odd resting on his boyish face. The two boys were locked into a fierce staring contest, one waiting for the other to break. After a few minutes, Shippo's resolve was rewarded as InuYasha broke the silence first. "You don't think I've been doing a good enough job training you?" 

Sango let go of Kagome's wrist and Shippo's expression softened. "It's not that," He squirmed and InuYasha dropped him as though the young kit’s shirt was burning his fingertips. Kagome bit her tongue as InuYasha growled a soft one-worded apology along with a heavy sigh. Shippo brushed himself off before facing InuYasha again. "You know that I think you're an alright trainer…" 

"Alright?!" InuYasha's anger was quickly renewed by Shippo's words, but a single glare from the kitsune shut the hanyou's mouth. 

"But Kagome-mama," He looked back at her, his eyes full of pleading warmth. His gaze lingered on her for a few heartbeats before he turned back to the impatient hanyou, who had since crossed his arms. "I can't just let her go. Not when she just came back."

The raw emotion in Shippo's voice caused Kagome's heart to sink and InuYasha's eyes to harden. "You think I want her to leave?" Shippo shook his head and InuYasha continued, "I can't accept that she doesn't want to be here. But I can accept that if I try to stop her, she's going to try and rip me apart." _Try?_ Kagome thought to herself, her eyes involuntarily sneaking a glance at the sword on his hip. When she raised her eyes, she noticed a pair of golden irises looking directly into her brown ones. 

She maintained the eye contact, even as Sango walked away from her side. 

As the night continued, temperatures had dropped considerably. Taking his wife’s lead, Miroku offered an arm to Kaede, who, satisfied with how each conflict tonight had been resolved, gratefully curled her hands around it and accepted his help. The elderly woman cast a forlorn glance at Kagome but said nothing as she hobbled back towards the hut. Sango walked towards Rin, who had been curiously watching everything at a distance, and coaxed her back towards the hut. 

Now left alone with InuYasha, Shippo, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Kouga, Kagome realized that she had been much too relaxed this entire time. Two of the five present were her enemies. These versions of the two had not wrought the death and destruction that she was familiar with but that didn't mean they weren't capable of doing so. 

Her fingers itched to gather Shippo in her arms. She resisted that urge in favor of listening to Sango. "Kagome-mama wouldn't hurt you." Shippo asserted calmly. "If she wanted to, she would have." 

"Keh." InuYasha scoffed, his nose twitching. "If she wanted to, she could have _tried_." Shippo rolled his eyes. 

Jaken cut into their now somber conversation, seemingly eager to make up for all the times that he had been cut off himself, "Master Sesshoumaru is not-!" 

"The kitsune may come along if it desires to," Sesshoumaru cut his retainer off, his voice giving off the impression that he wasn't interested in any further discussion. This time, there was no flash of anger or annoyance in Jaken's eyes at being interrupted. His disbelief was apparent, as he voiced it by grunting and grumbling, but he said nothing else about the matter. Sesshoumaru turned around, walking off in the opposite direction of Kaede's hut, his voice carrying in the wind as he walked off. "But I will not train the kitsune." 

Jaken stood still for a moment, his expression torn between smugness, disbelief, and disbelief. Settling on disgust, he pointed an accusatory finger at Kagome. "You _will_ bathe before we leave!" The upcoming insult died in his throat as Sesshoumaru called his name from a now considerable distance. "C-coming Master Sesshoumaru!" 

Kagome watched the imp trod off after his master, her former master, and wondered at what Jaken had said. She didn't have much time to mull it over, however, as Kouga's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Are you really just going to leave, pipsqueak?" While his voice had a teasing tone, the wolf youkai's face had taken up an expression of exhausted sadness. _Sango was right. I have been gone a long time. When did those two ever grow so close?_ How _did they grow to be so close?_

Shippo nodded, his determination clear and resolute. "You both have taught me a lot. And there's still a lot of stuff that I have left to master, but maybe Sesshoumaru has someone who can teach me things. _Kitsune_ things.." He trailed off, his expression clouding for a moment before a glimmer of excitement lit up his face. "Maybe I can come back strong enough to beat one of you!" 

"Maybe this wolf bastard!" InuYasha exclaimed before pointing a clawed finger at his own chest, a prideful smile spreading over his face. "But you'll never beat me!" 

There was a distinct air of friendliness that had settled among the trio, chasing out much of the somber aura that had been there previously. Kagome listened quietly as they went back and forth, debating on how Shippo could hope to be on the same level as them. It was like they had forgotten that she was there, which was fine with her. From a strategic standpoint, being forgotten was a good thing. If she needed to strike, their lack of focus on her person was perfect. 

Shippo adopted a playful scowl as he continued his portion of the conversation, boasting how his skills had elevated in the short time since he had begun to train. Kouga countered by describing his own combat skills with a great sense of pride. InuYasha ignored both of their claims, his voice loud as he retold tales of his own triumphant skills.

Kagome stood back, content to fade into the background but feeling very much like an outsider as the discussion went on. As the first hints of dawn snuck over the horizon, she was filled with a sense of urgency. Jaken had mentioned that he and Sesshoumaru planned to leave at dawn, and Kagome very much doubted that they would delay their plans for her. She interrupted the trio, her words having as much effect as her sudden movement. "I am going back to the hut Shippo." 

Kagome strode with confidence towards the hut, not waiting to hear a response from any of them. Eager to strip out of the ill-fitting clothing and back into something that not only fit her body but suited her preferences as well, Kagome weaved through the trees with ease. Her steps only faltered once, when Sango slid into place beside her halfway to the hut, matching her stride effortlessly. With a familiarity that Kagome felt oddly unnerved by now that tensions were no longer flaring, Sango wrapped her arms around Kagome, maintaining her speed all the while. 

"You're going to bathe, right?" Kagome glanced at the older woman but didn’t question how she had known. "I'm in need of a bath myself, do you mind if I join you?" Her tone said that it wasn't really a question and so Kagome didn't respond. "I've set aside our clothing. I found some of my old clothing and it should fit you a little bit better than what you have on now." 

Kagome broke her silence. "What about my kimono?" 

Sango led Kagome through the words, her eyes passing over Kagome's face for a moment before returning ahead. She didn't answer for a few moments, and the silence that transpired set Kagome even more on edge than she already was. The bathing area that had been created in Kagome's absence came into view and Kagome was relieved to see that the water was steaming. She had bathed in cold water before, many times in fact, but she much preferred hot water to warm and warm to cold.

Sango spoke up, deflecting, “I don’t know that you can weave needles into what I’ve given you, but you can try if you want to.” She looked at Kagome with eyes full of concern as the two women approached the water’s edge. Kagome broke away from her hold at the familiar sight of her pauldron and cuirass. The armor shone, clearly washed with a careful hand. Neatly folded beside it was an outfit similar to the one that she remembered Sango normally wore many years ago. Her hand absently lifted a sleeve, fingers sliding against the fabric, inspecting. “The needles are at the hut,” Sango offered, as though Kagome was lamenting their absence. “Your weapons and other accessories are there as well.” 

She figured that InuYasha had gotten rid of her beloved kimono. Though faded, Sesshoumaru’s crest was clearly visible on the fabric. Anyone with eyes would be able to see the cherry blossoms that adorned her clothing. Subtly placed, but not so much so that they would go unnoticed. Kagome shut her eyes, embedding the image of her kimono in her mind for the last time. It was undoubtedly destroyed by the jealous and impulsive hanyou. She wondered about how Sango had prepared everything in the relatively short time since Jaken had instructed her to bathe when the woman spoke up, interrupting Kagome’s thoughts. 

“Would you like some privacy?” Kagome shook her head but kept her eyes shut in case the demon slayer wanted to remain unseen as she changed out of her own attire. Releasing a small probing pulse of reiki, Kagome scanned the area for any sign of invaders. Finding none, she began to strip. 

Her borrowed outfit fell in a heap onto the dewy grass. Slipping out of her leather boots, Kagome opened her eyes once she heard Sango splash into the water. Fingers deftly folding the delicate fabric, Kagome placed it on the small stone slab that her next outfit was laid on and moved to take off her undergarments. 

Her eyes widened at the sight of her body. Her mouth grew dry and her throat tightened as she frantically searched her pale skin, blinking fast and hard as if what she was looking for would appear if she blinked hard enough. She had not looked at her naked skin since before falling in the Bone Eater’s Well. Even when she relieved herself, she did not look at her body very closely, she didn’t think that she needed to. She had noticed that her body went through some miraculous and disadvantageous changes, all of which she had hated when she’d noticed them. But the changes she had noticed had all been obvious ones, such as her sudden lack of stamina or her soft hands. 

She had mourned the loss of callouses, of well-defined muscles, of a body fit for fighting. She did not realize that she would have to mourn the loss of her scars as well. 

Her scars were ugly. They marred her skin, warping it horribly. Over the years, she hadn’t looked at them very often, but she revered them as though they were works of art. Her scars were her story. The scars that adorned her legs spoke of the fighting spirit she had to develop on her first day in hell. The scars on her chest spoke of how many times she had been close to death. The scars on her right arm told a little bit of the tale as to how and why everything had gone wrong six years ago. Even the scars on her back, small as they were, spoke of _something._ All of the scars meant _something._

“Kagome?” Sango’s voice rang out. Kagome knew that she hadn’t been able to maintain her composure, hadn’t bothered with keeping herself as unreadable as possible. “Is everything alright?” 

_No!_ Kagome felt sick. _Nothing is alright!_

Kagome was idly aware of the fact that she was hyperventilating. Her breath came out hot, puffing out in white clouds in front of her and drawing back into her chest in raspy, desperate gasps. She heard Sango lift herself out of the pool of water, the water crashing in waves in response to her sudden exit. She could barely hear the women pad over to her, the water dripping onto the grass. Everything except for the sound of her beating heart was quiet. Her fingers sluggishly pulled and prodded at her skin, feeling for the raised skin and the gouges as though they were just invisible to her naked eyes. 

“Where...” She trailed off, twisting her body to try and look at her hips. They were unmarked. She reached out her arms, turning them over quickly as she searched for anything. Even if they were misplaced, they had to be there. They had to be somewhere. Her voice cracked as it came out, “Where...are?” 

Her nostrils burned as they flared. She felt lightheaded. Kagome did not realize that she had begun crying or that Sango had moved in front of her until the woman pushed her arms down and wiped her cheeks. “Kagome? _Kagome._ ” 

Kagome met her eyes, “Where are they?” 

“Where are what?” If Sango had been concerned before, she was distressed now. Her fingers kept wiping at Kagome’s cheeks as more and more tears spilled. 

Kagome broke eye contact as her knees buckled, Sango catching her before she fell. “M-my scars…” If Kagome wasn’t so distraught, so horrified, she may have had the sense to feel embarrassed by her lack of control. By her vulnerability. 

But none of that mattered. Everything came crashing in at once. All of the emotions that she had repressed surged through her veins as she thought of everything that had happened. Shippo was alive. Rin and Sesshomaru were alive. By some miracle, even Jaken was alive. But so was InuYasha. Her beloved kimono was likely destroyed, but her Tetsusaiga still responded to her. She was weak but not weak enough that she couldn’t do something about it. She had most of her weapons, but her scars were gone. 

Kagome had never put much thought into them. They had always just been there. They had always been taken for granted. The raised skin, the deep gouges, the marks that had reminded her of her struggles and spoke of her survival. 

Kagome leaned forward, wailing in Sango’s arms. She was numbly aware of the sun that was now beginning to light up the sky but she didn’t care. She muttered out something unintelligible, and before Sango could goad her to say more, she cried out, “…And they’re gone…” 

Sango held her for a few moments before helping Kagome out of her underwear and guiding her towards the water. She didn’t try to offer words of comfort, didn’t try and pretend to understand. She simply lowered Kagome into a seated position before helping her slide into the water. As the hot water washed over her bare skin, Kagome let out a choked laugh.

She had been so happy to see the steam rising from the water a few moments ago. 

Sango slid into the water beside Kagome, letting out a relieved huff as she did. _Oh,_ Kagome thought to herself, thinking about the cold night air and how it must have felt on Sango’s wet skin. _She must have been freezing._

The water was deep, but not deep enough that Kagome couldn’t stand. She watched as Sango swam over to the other edge of the bathing area, towards where two blocks of soap laid on the grass. One was slightly misshapen. Sango grabbed them and adjusted them so that she could hold both in one hand. She then scooped up two cloths that had been resting near the bars before making her way back to Kagome, careful not to splash the bars. She held the cloths in the other hand but was less careful about keeping them dry. When she was close enough, she held out the one that wasn’t misshapen.

Kagome stared at it for a moment. It was different than what she normally used. She doubted it would mask her scent much. She reached up and grabbed the bar with trembling fingers, bringing it closer. Sango offered one of the rags and Kagome took that too. Dunking the soap under the water once, she began to lather up the rough brown cloth Sango had given her. She scrubbed at her body, moving the soapy part of the cloth in circular motions against her skin. Kagome started at her left shoulder before passing over her chest and scrubbing the right. 

The sounds of Sango bathing were muffled by the blood pounding in Kagome’s ears. She had calmed down; her breathing was even, and her heart wasn’t beating erratically. But she was still upset. She was more than upset. She was horrified. 

She hadn’t realized that her scars meant that much to her. She had never really paid them much thought before. She had never had the time to. Aside from acknowledging them, usually long after they’d appeared, she didn’t dwell on them too much. _Maybe it’s just because everything has happened so fast?_

Sango spoke up for the first time in a while. “Do you want me to do your back?” Whatever reservations she may have felt before had been eradicated and Kagome nodded absently, turning her back towards the demon slayer as she continued to wash the front of her body. “You don’t have to wash mine,” the woman muttered, sliding the cloth over Kagome’s exposed skin. Her touch was gentle but firm, exactly how Kagome would imagine it to be. 

_Exactly how I remember it to be._ Kagome’s wistful thought came as a surprise to her, unsure if her own thoughts were referring to when Sango had grabbed her wrist earlier in the night or if it was referencing an earlier time before she’d fallen through the Well. 

“We missed you, you know.” Sango spoke so softly that Kagome nearly missed it, the sound nearly drowned out by the moving water. “InuYasha missed you. I don’t know what happened to you to make you feel how you feel about him, but he did miss you. He does miss you. He waited for years next to that damned Well,” Sango’s fingers swept Kagome’s hair so that it sat over her shoulder. Kagome sighed but said nothing. 

Sango’s voice came out in a quiet, bubbling laugh, “Do you know how many times I had to drag him away from the Well? How many times I had to drag him _out_ of it? I swear, for the first year after you left, InuYasha lived at the bottom of the Well.” 

“I tried to come back.” Kagome whispered. “I tried until it wasn’t safe to stay there and keep trying.” 

The demon slayer didn’t pry. She didn’t ask why it wasn’t safe, instead continuing on, trusting that Kagome would speak when she was ready to. “Shippo too. The poor boy waited alongside InuYasha. He was the hardest to drag away from the Well. He wouldn’t even budge when I threatened him with my cooking.” 

Kagome furrowed her brows. “Your cooking isn’t bad. It’s actually really good,” She complimented. 

Sango laughed in response. “I didn’t make dinner last night. You would know if I did. Your face would be a lot greener if I made it.” She hummed softly, separating herself from Kagome after she finished. “Oddly enough, Kouga was the one who really drew them out of it. I think it’s why they’re so close now. He antagonized InuYasha until the boy chased after him, and by that point, wherever InuYasha went, Shippo followed.” 

The closeness that she described made what InuYasha did to Shippo seem that much darker. Kagome had to remind herself that this version of InuYasha hadn’t done anything so heinous. 

“You should probably go soon,” Sango said. “Jaken did say that they were leaving at dawn, didn’t he?” 

Kagome nodded, hastily finishing up. She scrubbed at her skin with renewed vigor before rubbing the soap onto the soaked cloth. She rubbed it over her face and hair, Sango staring at her quizzically when Kagome wiped the cloth over the dark strands, before gently wrapping the cloth over the soap. She briefly submerged herself everything but the hand that held the rag before coming up and asking, “Do you want me to take it into the hut?” 

Sango shook her head, extending her arm and plucking the wet bundle from Kagome’s hands. She pointed towards a neat bundle of towels that rested next to where her clothes had been folded. “Don’t worry about it. Go, it’s getting late. Er…Early?” 

Before Sango finished her question, Kagome was leaping out of the water and walking towards the towels. She grabbed the one on top, careful not to get the one below it wet, and began to smooth it over her skin. As she dried herself, she turned and walked over to her own stone slab. “Thank you,” Kagome offered, acutely aware of how much better she felt. Whether it was the woman’s presence, her words, or her actions, Kagome felt calm. She was still disturbed by the fairness of her skin and the markings that it lacked, but she wasn’t freaking out about it. 

Once she was content with how well she had dried off, Kagome began to dress herself. She was quick and methodical, her fingers fitting the cuirass and securing the pauldron to her body. They were still bulky, ill-fitting against her body, which lacked the muscles that the armor had been formed to fit over. But it fit much better than the miko garb she had been gifted. 

Gathering up the folded bundle of clothing that she had set aside along with the towel that she had used to dry off, Kagome opened her mouth to again give her thanks to the bathing demon slayer, but Sango spoke up first. “Leave that,” she pointed to the towel. “And the clothes too. You have more important things to do.” 

Kagome stared at the towel for a moment, debating on whether or not she should bring it anyway since it was already in her hands. She decided to listen to Sango, dropping it before bowing before the woman. “Thank you, Sango-san.” 

“Just Sango. I’ll miss you Kagome. You’d better visit. More often than once every six years,” The woman chided, waving Kagome off before she could speak up again. Kagome turned and began to make her way towards the hut. 

Her armor clinked lightly as she walked, her footsteps falling fast as she nearly ran towards her goal. When the hut came into view, she broke into a sprint. As she drew nearer, she found that her things were already waiting for her outside. The needles were bundled together, bound by her hair ties. _Sango must have figured I would be in a rush._ Her weapons had been cleaned, and when she unsheathed one, she found that it had also been sharpened. She wrapped her belt around her hips, delighting at how it fit. It wasn’t snug but it wasn’t overly loose either. There was also a small tube that Kagome was surprised to see. The light blue deodorant bar was something from the modern era. _They kept that, all this time? It’s unopened too..._ Kagome didn’t dwell on it too much, tucking it in the space between her hip and her weapon belt. 

Scooping up the bundle of needles, careful not to prick herself, Kagome took off towards the training site. It was now just past dawn and she needed to hurry. She figured that they would be meeting up near the tree where Sesshoumaru had agreed to let her come with him. 

Kagome raced through the trees, leaping over bushes, scattered twigs, and the odd tree stump until the small clearing came into view. 

Several figures were gathered there. _Everyone is gathered there._ Kagome thought to herself. Everyone except for Sango, who was either still bathing or finishing up. Just before bursting through the tree line, Kagome slowed down, regaining her composure. She stepped out of the woods calmly, although everyone except for Rin and Miroku had likely heard her coming. 

The first thing she heard was Jaken screeching at her. “You’re late!” 

“Yeah, because you told her she had to bathe!” Shippo countered, crossing his arms as he glared down at the impish demon. Sesshoumaru said nothing, only turning his back towards her and starting off on the journey home. Kagome picked up speed in response, her swift footsteps carrying her across the clearing quickly. 

Rin met her halfway, enveloping Kagome in a near crushing hug. She hugged her with more force than any of her previous hugs combined. “Rin is going to miss you, Kagome-san!” She nuzzled into the embrace, careful to avoid the spikes of Kagome’s pauldron. “You will have to visit Rin!” Separating herself to briefly look into Kagome’s eyes, Rin went in for another hug but was cut off by Jaken’s harsh yell. 

“Stop delaying us!” He squawked angrily, smashing the bottom of the Staff of Two Heads to the ground to emphasize his annoyance.

InuYasha snorted in response. “Yeah, yeah. We’re hurrying.” He and Kouga stepped up to the two women, although Kouga seemed to be a little apprehensive. “Be safe, wench.” InuYasha scoffed, his voice carrying a familiarity that hadn’t been there before. “And _talk_ to me when you come back. Always fuckin’ preached about the importance of talking and now you won’t fuckin’ do it.” 

“And when you’re ready,” Kouga offered a shaky smile. Kagome hadn’t thought that her words had affected him so much. “You know. To be my woman. I’ll be ready.” He was clearly trying to be as familiar with her as InuYasha had been but his own…fear? Whatever the emotion, it was impeding his ability to connect with her in the way that he wanted to. Not that he would have really been able to. 

Kagome nodded at them both as Kaede, aided by Miroku, drew near. “You should visit us again. It has been nice to see you. I’d like to see more of you.” Miroku doubled the sentiment, his voice booming in the early morning. 

“Yes! Please, Kagome-san, come to visit us again soon.” 

Kaede spoke up again, removing a hand from Miroku’s arm to reach out and grab one of Kagome’s. “You will always have a place with us, but for now, you should go. That one,” She nodded her head towards Sesshoumaru’s receding frame, “That one isn’t known for patience.” 

As if that were his cue, Shippo grabbed her other hand, pulling Kagome out of Rin’s embrace. “We’ll visit you all as soon as we can!” He must have said his goodbyes already, as he quickly took off in a run towards Sesshoumaru, dragging her along. Kagome waved at the group over her shoulder before leaning down to scoop Shippo up. While he had grown in her absence, he was not too big to carry, even in her weaker state. She plucked the deodorant from where it rested against her hip and pressed it into the kit’s hands. 

Thin legs took off in a strong run, leaping over the distance and leaving an annoyed Jaken to scramble after her. She glanced behind her, more to look at the group one last time than to see how far behind Jaken was, before speeding up. 

“Whoa,” Shippo exclaimed, his open mouth curling into an excited grin. “You’re so fast, Kagome-mama!” 

Kagome broke her expressionless mask in favor of giving him a smile, although she kept her eyes straight ahead. “You should have seen me before I fell down that damned Well.” 

From her peripheral vision, she could see that Shippo looked a little puzzled, but his grin didn’t shrink in size. Within a few minutes, Kagome caught up to Sesshoumaru, Shippo leaping from her arms, much to Kagome’s unspoken relief. She had been winded by the short burst of exercise. This body was weak and would need a lot of training. 

Sesshoumaru spared her a single glance, but again said nothing. 

-

Just as no one had been there to receive Kagome when she had dragged herself up out of the Well days ago, no one was there when a sharp set of claws curled over the edge of the Well a few hours after she had left, the claws sinking deep into the aged stone. Unlike Kagome’s arrival, there was no surge of power, holy or otherwise. Nobody had been alerted about this sudden presence. 

Though, they would soon be aware of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. As always, I really appreciate everyone's continued support and if anything is wrong with the chapter or if anyone has any suggestions, I am more than happy to hear them. Have a good day :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully that wasn't too terrible. I'm cringing at it, hard. But that's because I don't know how to twist major plot points into a single chapter, nor do I want to. I have a lot of learning and growing to do in the writing department, so I hope I continue with this. I want to continue with it. 
> 
> Some things to note: If I do keep going with this, there will be mentions of sexual assault. I don't know the detail I will go into, but it is important for the story. I want to give a vague overview of the premise using little excerpts from my notes about this AU. I may go back and write an actual premise but only if I do decide to abandon this.
> 
> When Kagome jumped into the well to rest with her family after defeating Naraku, she was thrown into a world of war. Friends were enemies. What had seemed like an immediate change to her had been a gradual truth to them. She had to quickly learn to fight and to kill in order to survive, and she had to survive so that she could protect. She "trips" (She is pulled) into the well and when she climbs out, she finds that her physical state is that of what it would be had she stayed in the feudal era rather than trying to leave. Her hair is longer, her muscles are weaker, her scars are gone. But while her body had changed to fit what could have been, her mind did not. 
> 
> She ends up staying with Sesshoumaru out of a sense of duty to repay unknown debts and to protect Shippo, who is reluctant to leave Rin. 
> 
> "My purity was ripped away in a village I had sought out for help. By villagers I had helped before. And then they took Shippo. They'd intended to do similar things to him that they'd done to me. They nearly killed me, but they'd left me alive enough to watch. So I left them alive enough to suffer. To watch me leave. It wasn't intentional, my lashing out. But survival is instinctual, not intentional." 
> 
> "This body is..displeasing to be in. It is weak and the scars from that night have faded. But those scars served as a reminder that my reiki can purify youkai. It does not purify evil. You need different tools for that." 
> 
> "You trusted This One once. You cannot do it again?" "You are not the same as the Sesshoumaru-sama that I trusted." "Neither is Jaken." "No, Master Jaken is exactly the same." (Sesshoumaru and Kagome having a conversation) 
> 
> "Why did you not travel with your pack?" "I didn't want to have to kill them again. Besides, I'd like to have the opportunity to protect Master Jaken as he has protected me." 
> 
> -
> 
> Big thanks to the following fics that have reignited my love for SessKag 
> 
> Unspoiled by Forthright (FanFiction.net)  
> Second Alliance by ImaniJoain  
> A Trick of Fate by pristineungift


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